Lorathi

The Calradians are the people of the Empire, though by now they have given their name to the entire continent which they dominate. A thousand years ago, they were an undistinguished tribe living in the hill country between the southern sea and the Battanian woods. One tradition set them apart from their neighbors - the Calradoi had no kings. Their citizenry has always taken an intense interest in the art of self-government, the balance between protecting the liberty of individuals and the needs of the state. Perhaps this is why they had a slight edge in the endless wars between one town and another, keeping armies in the field just a little longer, bouncing back just a little more quickly from a defeat. Some of their neighbors federated with them; others were overrun. Eventually the Calradians formed an empire, which evolved into a monarchy in all but name. Their leaders are no longer distinguished civic elders but great landholders scattered across the continent; the striking force of their armies is no longer citizen-infantry but heavily armored cataphracts in the retinues of the wealthy. But they still take their civic traditions very seriously, believing that the Calradian ideal can unite a continent in peace, if only the ”barbarians” beyond their borders would agree to submit to it.